


Regrets Hanging Over

by Benfrosh



Category: Suikoden II
Genre: F/F, alcohol mention, overconsumption of alcohol, you don't have to go home but you can't stay - oh huh guess you aren't moving huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 07:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14100063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benfrosh/pseuds/Benfrosh
Summary: Valeria had too much to drink. Then she kept drinking.





	Regrets Hanging Over

Valeria lifted her head from the tavern table, blinking away the dregs of sleep. The room, last bustling and active with soldiers celebrating the ends of their shifts, was empty and quiet, chairs placed on tables and lanterns extinguished. As she brushed back her hair, trying to look marginally less disheveled, she looked around for any sign of Leona - she always had figured her for one of those 'drunks belong in the garbage with the rest of the waste' bartenders, but apparently the world still had room for small mercies.

"Damn, you're more of a lightweight than I thought," came Anita's voice, slightly muffled. Valeria turned her head, her vision slowly unblurring, to find her girlfriend sitting beside her at the same table. Swallowing her food, Anita smiled. "You gonna be okay, or should I call the doc?" she asked, the concern in her words unreflected in her face.

Valeria groaned, feeling a headache set in. "I'll probably be fine. Just don't turn on any lights without warning me first." She rubbed her eyes to bring the world into focus, slowly taking in more of the scene around her. "What happened to me? And can I have some of what you're having?"

"Go for it," Anita replied as she pushed a bowl over. "Potato chips."

Valeria concentrated as hard as she could on the dry yellow crisp foodstuff placed in front of her. "What are those? I... don't think I've ever had them."

"Damn delicious is what they are. Hai Yo came up with the idea. Potato slices cooked in oil and then salted." Anita reached over to take another from the bowl, exaggeratedly biting into it with a loud crunch. "Real satisfying sound, too."

Valeria wasn't one to shy away from new dishes, especially ones Anita had already tried, so she took one and inspected it. Biting in and chewing carefully, she finally smiled. "They _are_ good. Can I have another?"

Anita mimed proffering the bowl. "I got it for you to have something once you woke up. I only started eating because I got bored."

Valeria was only too happy to have something to eat, with no recollection of dinner. Slowly munching on the salty snack, she stared into the distance, attempting to gather together what memories she could as she filled her appetite.

"I love staring into your eyes, dear, but are you actually flirting or have you fallen asleep again?"

With a start, Valeria realized her gaze had drifted from the wall slowly over to Anita once more. "Sorry, sorry, still waking up. What... did I drink?"

"That's related to the first question, turns out. So we came down here for food, right?" Anita leaned back in her chair, kicking her legs up on one of the other chairs at their table. "And Leona mentions to me, hey, they got this new wine in, right? Made in the mountains, aged in oak barrels, all the usual good stuff, right? Said I was such a good customer, I deserved to try a bottle of it first."

"And you'd never turn down free alcohol, of course."

Anita laughed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Just stating the facts, dear."

"Hey, just because I like enjoying myself and having a good time-"

Valeria waved her off. "Sorry, sorry, I really just want to know what happened. It's kind of freaking me out not remembering anything."

Anita grimaced. "Aw, your first bender, huh? I've been there, I'll be gentle. Anyway, I tried some and-" She whistled. "I've had whiskey less powerful than that. Think it might've gone bad or something, if that's even possible. I passed on it because I wasn't feeling like getting sloshed tonight, and you were like 'oh let me try some' and I was like 'no you won't like it' and one thing led to another and you _loved_ it."

Valeria nodded. "Did you get the vintage?"

Anita smiled. "A 440 Zinfandel from a monastery near Tinto."

"You're the best."

"You know it. Well, you started getting giggle-drunk, then loud-drunk-"

"How much did I _have?_ "

"Like half the bottle! I was impressed. You started talking about how happy you were being here with me, how much you loved me, how excited you were that I had decided to stay..." Anita trailed off with a wistful sigh. "I didn't realize I wanted someone to talk me up that much. It really made me happy."

"I'll keep that in mind. I've gotten sloshed before though without falling asleep. What happened after that?"

"Well..." Anita turned her head to stare off at the tavern wall. "You proposed to me."

A silence hung between them in the empty tavern. "Ah," Valeria replied. 

"Got on one knee, asked me to spend the rest of our lives together, you even bought a necklace off someone to give to me for an engagement present." Anita lifted a pendant from her chest, the sapphires embedded in it reflecting the moonlight coming in through the windows. "I really do appreciate it, by the way."

"I'm glad," Valeria answered blankly, her mind racing. She proposed.

"So one thing led to another, everyone bought you celebratory drinks, you couldn't say no because you were so happy, and then Leona and I shooed everyone out while you were asleep on the table. You owe her multiple favors, by the way."

"I'm sure." She proposed. "I proposed?"

"You proposed." Anita's smile softened into a concerned frown. She scooted her chair over next to Valeria and put her arm across her shoulders. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? Half of them will have forgotten by the morning, and we can explain to everyone else who asks that it was just a spur of the moment thing. You were drunk, things happen."

"No, it's just..." Valeria shook her head. "I can't believe I did that," she finally said, laughing.

"What, get drunk? I've gone on too many dates with you to believe that."

"I had been thinking for a while now, actually" Valeria continued, ignoring Anita's jokes. "About how much you mean to me, about my plans for the future now that you're staying... I..." Valeria swallowed her fears. "I had been considering proposing to you."

Anita tilted her head, grinning. "Oh, really?"

"I'm sorry that it happened like this. I really wanted to talk to you about it first. Look, I'm sure this must have come as a big shock." Valeria vaguely waved her arms in frustration. "We'll take care of things in the morning, I'm sorry for causing all this trouble. I- damn!" she exclaimed, cutting herself off and burrowing her face in her hands. "That's really frustrating! I didn't want to just spring it on you like that." 

"So you really did actually want to propose to me?"

"Ugh, are you really going to make me say it?" Valeria took a deep breath and raised her head. "Yes, I have been thinking about how I wanted to marry you. Are you happy?"

"Yep," Anita replied, a smirk on her face. "Because I said yes."

Valeria blinked. "You what?"

"I said yes! Why do you think I'm wearing this?" Anita asked, pointing at the pendant. 

"But... you were drunk too, right? Weren't you drinking with me?"

"I had, like, half a glass! Even vodka won't do me in that quickly. I was stone cold sober."

Valeria was slowly putting together the pieces. "So you were... sober?"

Anita nodded.

"And I... proposed?"

"You sure did."

"And you... said yes?"

"I did!" Anita said, her voice nearly breaking into laughter.

"So... we're going to get married?" Valeria asked, some of Anita's enthusiasm sneaking its way into her voice.

"We sure are!" Anita got out, before breaking out into full hysterical laughter, which Valeria joined in. 

Relief flowed through Valeria as she realized that things were fine. It wasn't what she had planned to do, nor how she wanted to do it, but in the end things had worked out. That was all she could ask for, in the end. That, and a life with Anita - her rival, and her lover. Pulling herself upright and straightening herself, she stared Anita in the eye. "Kiss me, future wife."

"Are you still drunk? It's fiancée," Anita replied with the last vestiges of her giggles.

"Shut up and kiss me, fi-an-cée," Valeria commanded with an exaggerated emphasis, refusing to concede that she was, in fact, drunk with exhaustion and delight. 

"That's more like it." And thus Anita obliged her future wife.


End file.
